Houstonians greeted the new year with cooler temperatures, a shift from the unusually warm December they had been experiencing. As the city rang in 2024, the forecast promised a 40 percent chance of showers early on New Year's Day, with the potential for patchy dense fog in the morning hours before giving way to mostly cloudy skies and a high near 62 degrees, according to the National Weather Service. Despite a partly cloudy evening, temperatures were expected to dip to a low around 43 degrees.
The rest of the week isn't set to stray far from cool and damp conditions, with the possibility of showers and thunderstorms starting Tuesday afternoon. While no severe thunderstorms are forecast, the Storm Prediction Center notes that isolated to scattered thunderstorms may occur through Tuesday night across parts of Texas, including Houston and southern Louisiana. The chance for precipitation sits squarely at 40 percent, ensuring that the first week of the new year will be met with intermittent rain.
With the approach of a coastal low Tuesday night, Houston can expect widespread rain through to Wednesday morning. While severe weather or flooding is not anticipated, "heavier downpours could lead to localized ponding on area roadways," the Houston Chronicle reports. Showers are predicted to ease off by the following Wednesday midday with most areas receiving less than an inch of rain.
The chill in the air is set to be a constant companion throughout the week, as high temperatures waver near the 60-degree mark, even cooler weather expected by Wednesday as highs drop into the 50s. Toward the end of the week, however, temperatures should normalize, "with highs in the lower 60s by Friday and Saturday," as observed by Houstonians. Overnight lows will be hovering in the lower 40s, so frost should not pose a significant concern during these initial days of 2024.
